Bristol, Cardiff, and a kiss from an Irishman!

Yes indeedy, as the title suggests, I shall elaborate on the four day long weekend Scott and I took to Bristol and Cardiff, and by the end of this post, I shall reveal where I was when I was kissed!

On Friday the 15th December (it seems forever ago now), I began the morning with a visit to the dentist for a filling. Oh the excitement! I do, luckily for me, have a cute looking dentist. I was left with a numb face, right up to my lower eyelid. Weird sensation, and not one I want to repeat in a hurry.

That evening Scott and I took the train to Bristol. We arrived about 10pm, to rain, and walked to our hotel. The next morning we headed to the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum. It was a bit of a disappointment really. Working in a museum, I have an understanding of what makes a good "visitor experience" and what doesn't. What doesn't is not having a cloakroom, drawers that are difficult to move, no staff around to tidy up, and having to hunt around to find the captions for the objects in the cases!! Argh! Really frustrating. We left, and headed (via the city centre and a yummy market with olives and spicy parsnip soup) to the Industrial Museum, only to find that it was closed for renovations until 2009!! So we headed for the ss Great Britain. They have restored the ship a great deal, and we started by walking underneath her. She is sitting in a dry dock, which they have sealed in with a layer of glass and they keep the humidity at 20% to prevent more corrosion of the hull. We also wandered in the upper parts of the ship to see what life would have been like sailing on her. We caught a ferry (tiny one!!) back to the city centre and headed back to the hotel for dinner and to crash.

Sunday saw us head to the station we were leaving from that evening, only to realise that we could not leave our bag anywhere and there was really nothing there at all! So we caught a cab to the Clifton suspension bridge and had a wander around to have a good look at this bridge, which was designed by Brunel, but he did not live to see it completed. We walked the length of it, then stopped on the other side to have a look at the small exhibition about the bridge, bought some souvenirs and headed back (all with our suitcase in tow!). We caught a bus to the station and hopped on the train to Cardiff.

We arrived in Cardiff and found our hotel, which was right opposite the castle and very centrally located. The castle is quite literally in the middle of town! We grabbed some dinner and headed to bed. Next day we headed to the St Fagan's Museum of Welsh Life, out of Cardiff. It was a fantastic museum. The museum consisted of buildings that had been donated to the museum, then moved there and reconstructed for the public to enjoy. It was very well done and reminded me a little of Sovereign Hill in Ballarat (those of you who know it), but more spread out, and the buildings ranged in date from the 1500s to 2000, as well as a reconstructed Celtic Village and timber circle. We had a really fantastic time, enjoying the fresh air and the Welsh hospitality (and some amazing scones!!). We headed back to Cardiff and caught a bus down to Cardiff Bay (a couple of miles from the centre of Cardiff) for dinner. Had a lovely meal, and then Scotty played some blackjack at a casino (and won our entry price to the castle for the next day!).

Tuesday we headed to Cardiff Castle and did a tour. The decoration of the palace rooms was something else - incredibly ornate and often inspired by poets, religion and other languages. After the castle we headed to have a look at the "winter wonderland" they had created, which was and ice skating rink etc, then had a looky in the shops! We did a stadium tour of the Milennium Stadium (which bizarrely had a fairground in it). The tour was very interesting, not about rugby really, much to my delight! We still had a couple of hours to kill before our train so we headed to the movies (our train was at 8.15pm and not much was open anymore). Then we hopped on the train (first class, baby) and headed back to London, arriving in at Paddington about 10.30pm.

Wednesday I worked for about an hour and a half, then it was off to the Christmas party for my work. It was in the Guildhall again this year. I had a lovely lunch with my colleagues, then it was off to the pub for some more fun, and I was home by 7pm (and I got paid for the day!).

Thursday and Friday were normal days, then Friday night was the Iron Maiden concert. Yes, I know what you are thinking... I don't even like Iron Maiden. Yes, it's true, and probably still is even after seeing them. BUT, I enjoyed the concert experience, they are great entertainers. About halfway through the concert the band was told they had to stop playing, as there had been a powercut, and by power cut I mean that the power cord leading into the building (Earl's Court Arena) caught on fire. This meant that the electricians had to frantically put the fire out (first things first, right?) and then rig up a new cable so the show could go on. Meanwhile, without sound, the only way the band could communicate with the audience was through sign language and a megaphone (which was almost useless). Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer, managed to get the audience to sing Christmas carols, do Mexican waves around the arena and back again and play volleyball with a soccerball. I was very impressed with him, and with the crowd - all very well behaved and good natured about it. I am now the proud owner of an Iron Maiden t-shirt, which Scott bought for me. Never thought you would hear that, did you? ;-) Oh, and the kiss? The guy next to Scott was getting very excited, so much so that he grabbed the railings that we were leaning on and shaking them violently. I asked him not to, so he leaned over, gave me the finger, to which I replied "Charming!". He then shook my hand and put his arms around me and Scott and gave me not one but two kisses on my head. Gotta love drunk Irishmen at rock concerts, right? :-D

Christmas Eve was uneventful - last minute shopping for food and each other, and we went to the video shop and borrowed 6 cheesy movies for Christmas day. I rang home and my cousins that evening to wish everyone a Happy Xmas. It had been ages since I spoke to my cousins. I miss them, and I really should ring them (and other people) more often.

Christmas Day was quiet for us. We opened pressies and had porridge for breakfast. Watched our first movie, then started to prepare lunch. We had curried parsnip soup, roast lamb and roast vegies and homemade mint sauce and a lovely crumble for dessert with brandied whipped cream. Lunch, by the time we ate, was really dinner though!

And today... Scott rang his sister Kim for her Birthday and then we headed to the football (soccer to you Aussies!!). I was a football virgin until today, so it was quite an experience for me. I likened the rules to hockey, as that is what I understand from when I played at school, oh so many years ago now. The view we had was ok, but it was hard to get a perspective of the whole pitch as we were behind the goal at one end and quite low down. But, it was an interesting experience, and one I have to, apparently, repeat on January 6. Hmmmmm.......

Hello

I am sitting at home at the moment, waiting for an electician to come and fix our light. I am sure all that is wrong with it is the fuse in the fitting. Fuses here are something that everyone can change, but not us! At home, as many of you know, fuses are the electrician's department. Normal people don't change them. That is not the case here. I played the "girl card" when I rang the real estate people, so I could get them to come and fix it, and so I didn' have to try it myself and electricute myself and Scott!! I also want to be here when the electrician is here, so I can see what he does.

We had a lovely weekend. Really, for me it was a 6 day weekend, as I had Friday off work, we left for Bristol on Friday night, came back on Tuesday night, then I had my work Christmas party on Wednesday! And I have a 4 day weekend this weekend.... What a life!

But the latest news is..................... I am going to see Iron Maiden with Scott tonight. Should be interesting to say the least!! I don't really like their music, well, I can tolerate it. But Scott bought two tickets, and he really likes them, so we are going! I am going to wear my "Museum chicks are hot" t-shirt, as it is my only black t-shirt. I am going straight from work tonight (if the electrician turns up and I actually get to work!). Scott is really looking forward to the concert, as he has liked the band for quite a while, and they started in east London, which is where we live!

I have uploaded the photos I took in Bristol and Cardiff (so many pictures!!!) onto our computer, and I will put a selection on here when I can. I have also signed up for a Flickr account, so I hope to get more pictures up there as well.

It has been a while since I last posted, so it's about time right?

We are headed to Bristol and Cardiff this weekend. I have to go to the dentist on Friday morning to get a small filling done (oh joy, but I have a cute dentist so that alleviates some of the stress!!!), then we catch the train that evening. We were to go on a steam train ride on Saturday, but unfortunately that has been cancelled. We will do some sightseeing instead.

I have a "tough" few weeks ahead of me. I have a 5 day weekend, then my Christmas party (I work for an hour then go), work 2 days, have a 4 day weekend, work 5 days, then have 3 days off. :-D I am looking forward to Christmas this year. It will be just Scotty and I this year. We are staying in London. We have decided that the hiring of cheesy movies is a must, as is doing two 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles. Not sure what I shall cook, but I will make something festive.

Amsterdam

We arrived at about 10pm local time, took the train to Central station and found our hotel. The hotel was made up of three canal homes (not actually on the canal, but same Amsterdam architecture). We were in the very top, in the roof!!

On Saturday morning we had breakfast at the hotel and then went wandering to the Reijksmuseum. We had bought I-Amsterdam cards for the three days we were there, which gave us entry into many museums (as unlike London the big museums are NOT free) and access to public transport, and a canal cruise. Bargain! We took the tram to the Reijksmuseum. Only the masterpieces on were show, as they are doing major renovations to the building. Amazing stuff there though. I thought I may see "Girl with a Pearl Earring" but I didn't see it. I read the book the film was based on (never saw the film though). Then we walked to the Heineken Experience!! A bit touristy, but we learnt how beer is made, why their logo is such (they chose smiling letter e's!) and got free beer tokens. I gave my tokens away to some nice people sitting at the table with us, as I don't drink beer. It was fun to "be a beer bottle", which was basically a ride that took you through the bottling of the beer, with all the necessary and approriate bumps etc. From there we headed to the Museum van Loon, which is a canal home owned by a wealthy family. The home and the items in it are well preserved, and they had modern art pieces slotted in as well, which didn't stand out too much. From there we walked back to near our hotel, and found some dinner. We had Indonesian food, which was super cheap and really tasty.

Our hotel was a street or two away from the Red Light District. This may sound bad, but in fact it was a great location, as it was central. The red light district is interesting, there are throngs of toursist going through it, and of course prostitution etc is legal there. I became desensitised to the many red windows and the sex shops very quickly - it's amazing how quickly one becomes used to it. They just became part of the scenery.

Sunday morning we headed to the Maritime Museum. There were heaps of people there, all dressed up. We had no idea what was going on. We found out that it was a Christmas celebration (as the date for that is 5th December), and that Sinterklaas http://www.thehollandring.com/sinterklaas.shtml came from Spain. As for all the kiddies dressed up, they looked like this:

From the Maritime Museum we caught a bus to Central Station and then hopped on a canal cruise. It lasted about an hour, and it was a lvoely way to see Amsterdam. It gave a new perspective on the city - a perspective that a great many people have had over the years.

On Monday morning, we checked out of the hotel and stowed our bag in their luggage room. We headed to the Jewish Historical Museum where they had an exhibition on Rembrandt and his connection to the Jews. Apparently Rembrandt (which I always thought was his surname, but it is his first name) lived on the very edge of the Jewish quarter. For this reason, he was a regular in the local shops etc. It has often been said that the local Jewish community were used as models for his paintings and sketches, although up to now nothing has been proven. Only one painting in conclusively of a Jewish man, and where did it end up? It was taken by Hitler for his art collection - ironic huh? After the museum, we checked out a local flea market, then a photographic exhibition on the street, then it was back to the hotel to pick up our suitcase and off to the airport. We arrived incredibly early and spent time wandering, spending the last of our euros and had some dinner. The flight back was uneventful. I was hoping we would fly over my work, but we didn't. :-( Slight hiccup with customs, but all sorted. Lesson learnt.

Favourite part of the trip: being treated to very musical church bells every half an hour. It really made the city that much more romantic.

Amsterdam - The Pictures

You have been warned! I saw this sign outside a pub.
Looking for a career change? Hire out a window in the redl light district!
View of the Margere Bruge, or the "Skinny Bridge"
And close up
So much Heineken! This was taken at the Heineken Experience.
Tulips, flowers, galore.
Dam Square (the main square in Amsterdam)
Ship model in the Reijksmuseum
Tiny Fokker F50 we flew on to Amsterdam. 50 passengers only!
Rembrandt painting in the Reiksmuseum. This is the one attacked by some loony in the 1970s with a knife. You can still see the slash marks just slightly above the dogs head, bottom right near the drum.

Amsterdam

Hello all,

Just wanted to check in. We are at the airport in Amsterdam, waiting for our flight. We are mega early, but better than late!

I have had such a lovely weekend. Really relaxing, full of sightseeing. Amsterdam is a great place. I love the architecture, the canals, the peace and quiet (well, anything is quiet compared to London anyway!!). I will post more when I have more time and some photos as well. Hopefully tomorrow when I am at work.

Until then... :-)

English versus Australian English

I thought I would enlighten you all in the ways of the Pom (another word for an Englishman/woman). Over the last two and a bit years I have been in London my accent has softened. To the English I still sound Australian, but to my Aussie friends I sounds English. I can't win! I like the way my accent sounds at the moment. I never had a harsh Aussie accent to start with.

English Australian English

lolly ice block/ice cream
sweet lolly
trousers pants
pants underpants
thong g-string
flip-flops thongs
rota roster

That's all I can think of for now. I shall post more when I can get my brain in gear.

We had lots of kiddies in at work today. I made them giggle when I told them the computers only had tiny brains and could not cope when the kids put too many fingers on the touch screens.

Little Hats!

You can see my mobile phone here for scale.
As promised, here are two pictures of the 32 hats I knitted for Innocent Drinks. They were incredibly satisfying to knit as I could finish one off completely in about an hour. And they were for charity, which is even better. I miss them though, but now I am getting on with other knitting projects. I am two thirds of the way through a scarf for a Christmas present for a friend and I still have Scotty's second sock to finish. :-) So much to do!

The hats are so small because they go on the top of smoothie bottles...

Ta Da!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amsterdam

Scott and I are off to Amsterdam on Friday night. :-) I have been looking on the web for things to do. www.amsterdam.info seems a good source. They have an advice section which states:

Avoid using cannabis in public. It is unsafe and illegal. It is not allowed to smoke in the public (you can get a fine, but usually just a reminder from the policeman), and it is not polite either to roam the streets, shops or restaurants while stoned. You can easily bump into a bike or a tram and die.

Not polite to roam the streets stoned? Awesome. :-) That made me giggle.

Anyway, we are really looking forward to going. We are flying out of City Airport which is quite close to us (we can catch the Docklands Light railway home rather than overland trains/buses etc). We should be home within an hour of landing!

Pics from the Lord Mayor's Show

The Lord Mayor's Coach in all its glory!
No parade is complete without a marching band wearing wigs, right??
Pearly Kings and Queens. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearly_King
This is a view of Scott's building with a smooshed map of Australia on the blow up globe. Made me giggle.
Magog, of the Gog and Magog pair. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gog_and_magog for more info!
This is my new favourite street name. Actually, my second favourite. My favourite is still Poultry!

Greetings All!

I had a lovely weekend. Scott had to work for quite a bit of the weekend. We headed into the City earlyish on Saturday morning. We arrived at St Pauls just on 11am and we found ourselves a spot to watch the parade. I love parades. There is something about them that brings out the child in me. Everyone is happy to be there, there are people yelling and blowing whistles, there are horses and marching bands, and museum artefacts. There was even a Delorian car (like in Back to the Future). The parade itself went on for about an hour. I was happy to see the highlight of the Show again, the Lord Mayor's Coach. It's was great to see it out of its normal spot in the Museum of London.

It is funny how a lot of people do not know the history of the Lord Mayor's Show, or even know that it's on. I did ask some friends from home who are living here if they wanted to come, but I guess no reply to my email meant that they had no idea what I was talking about. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_mayors_show Yay for Wikipedia!

We are off to Amsterdam on the 24th of this month. It will be a lovely break, one I am really looking forward to. We have not been "overseas" since we went to Sweden in January. Scotland doesn't really count as we didn't need our passports! We have three days booked there (including my parents' birthdays on the Monday 27th). Amsterdam is a lovely place. Then we are off to Bristol and Cardiff two weekends later. And then to Pompeii in January when Scott's dad is here. So not much travel in 10 months, then three trips in the space of 8 weeks!!

I met up with Sarah and Orlaith yesterday. We were going to try out a stitch and bitch group at one of the cafes in the West End but Sarah had a doctors appointment, so we have postponed it until they get back from Oz. We ended up wandering about, having coffee, getting on buses, going to a bank, knitting in cafes and generally having a lovely time. I had tomato sauce handprints on me after Orlaith smooshed her pasta into my skirt at lunch time. :-) Babies are gross. But cute, so it makes up for it.

Knitting projects at the moment:
* tiny hats for charity. See www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/supergran for details. Tiny hats for smoothies! Strange idea, but they are cute, easy to knit and for a good cause. What more do you want?
* socks for Scott. I am on number 2!

Knitting projects for the future:
*gloves
*beret out of bottle green mohair
*handbag from sari silk
*hot water bottle cover
*afghan (a throw for the bed)

A random post for y'all, but that's the kind of mood I'm in!

Photo Splurge

Isa holding Orlaith at our anniversary dinner. Orlaith took quite a shine to Isa.
Orlaith and Sarah.
This is a Roman hobnail boot footprint in a tile which is sitting inthe archive I visited. Slightly blurry but you get the idea!

Sunset near my work.
Sarah, Me and Isa after anniversary dinner.
Me, Aliza and Rob at Aldgate East tube station after eating much curry at Brick Lane
Squirrel! In Regent's Park, spotted trying to see if I had any food for him.
Lovely view of lake in Regent's Park.
Train going between Heron Quays and Canary Wharf stations. I took the pic for the gorgeous colour of the sky. It went from a pink to a brilliant navy straight above me.

Happy Halloween - if it's your thing

We had a lovely dinner on Saturday night. Not as many people turned up as I would have liked, but there were obviously better places to be! There were five and a half of us - Scott and I, Isa, Sarah, Jake and Orlaith (the half). Lovely food and great company, I can't really ask for anything more!

Tonight we are catching up with two old friends of mine from home - Aliza and Rob. I am looking forward to seeing them both. I have not seen Aliza in 10 years I reckon and Rob for a year or so. Aliza is coming to my museum for a visit and then we shall meet the boys in Brick Lane.

I promise I will post photos soon!

On the 27th October 2004, I:

Said good bye to my parents and friends at Brisbane airport
Burst into tears as I went through customs (didn't really stop until we got on the plane)
Took off in a plane for London
Began an adventure

So there you have it. Two year ago Scott and I left home to come to London. I can't believe it has been so long. In that time we have seen and done a lot. The countries we have seen are:

France
Germany
Scotland
England
Ireland (I have with my dad)
Austria
Hungary
Leichtenstein
Switzerland
Belgium (drove through it on the tour we did, and I have been back to visit a relative)
Sweden
Denmark
The Netherlands
Italy
Monaco

I think that's the lot. ;-) Anyway, quite a few.

We have lived in 5 houses, in 4 different postcode areas.

I think I have experienced almost every emotion living in London. Sometimes more pronounced than at home being so far away. Homesickness is not much of a problem, unless I am tired or sick or feeling lonely. Excitement at being in new places. Happiness for getting my job. Sadness when I heard about two death's in my friend Lisa's family.

London has so much to offer. If you can put up with the pollution, the noise, the smells of urine and sewerage that seem to permeate every surface, overcrowded public transport, people spitting on the street, people not smiling at you, crap customer service etc etc... then London is for you! You become numb to it after a while I guess. But there is history dripping from every orifice, sunshine occasionally, snow if you are lucky, awesome museums, shopping, red buses, black cabs. I have enjoyed my time here, and while there have been frustrations, times I cried, laughed, grimaced, I have a soft spot for the place. There is much opportunity here. Plenty of work and experience to be had. I can't recommend it highly enough. Come if you can!

We have organised a dinner for our friends tomorrow night. A lot of people cannot make it so it will be a small party, but that's fine. I shall update y'all on that when I can.

Alex xxx

Ok. I am in the call centre again today. Why? Who knows, but I had not written it down when asked in an email, so I had no clue until I got to work! Oh well! :-) Had a lovely email chat to my dad. I am in here again on Friday, so if anyone would like to have an email chat, email me at my yahoo address, or my work address if you know it.

This Saturday night we have arranged a dinner with friends at a local restaurant to celebrate two years in London. I cannot believe it's been so long. We have had a great time. It has been a wonderful learning experience - in many ways. Living in another country far from your home and your support network takes guts. I am proud to say that I have done it. I am not ready to go home yet. I am enjoying myself, and there is still much to see and do over here. We have two trips booked, and one more planned (two before the end of the year and one in January). I want to go to Spain and Portugal soon too. So many places on the list!

So far for the dinner it should be about 10 people. I am looking forward to seeing people, especially those who I have not seen in a long time! Any of you who read this and would like to come, please comment (by clicking on the "0 comments" link then posting a comment). I would love to hear from you! Otherwise drop me an email. Even though I would love all my friends from Australia to come, I cannot find the cash! Sorry! :-)

Went out to dinner last night at Isa's house. It was a birthday celebration for her and her housemate. One her of other housemates Lee cooked up a storm with the help of his German friend Constantine (male). Pretty much all the food they cooked was "acquired" from where they work, as they are both chefs for one of the large banks at Canary Wharf. So there was fish, venison from the Queen's estate in Balmoral, prawns, etc. Yum!! We had a lovely evening. There was even a pinata (I am not sure where the squiggly bit for over the n is) to smash to pieces. I always thought it was for kids, but you need a lot of strength to break it open and there was a single condom inside! Hmmmmm

Working this weekend has been quiet. Nothing major going on at work, apart from a conference for the Historic Divers. They were here last year and put on a demonstration which they have sadly not done this year.

I am looing forward to a bit of a sleep in on Tuesday. Hopefully seeing Sarah as well, as we had booked the day when we went to the craft fair. Friday Melissa is coming to the museum to check out where I work. Excellent.

Until next time!

Tuesday evening we went to a restaurant in Soho called Garlic and Shots. Everything on the menu has garlic in it, and I mean EVERYTHING! Garlic ice cream, garlic beer, garlic cheesecake... You get the point. Anyway it was a nice idea, even though we had to wait what seemed like forever for our food to arrive. We did however go to the restaurant for Isa's birthday. There were 6 of us there, one joined us about 10:3pm after he finished work. It was a lovely night, with interesting (if not explicit!!) conversation. We arrived home about 12:30am.

Tonight we are meeting up with Melissa and Shane. They are back in London after travelling about the world for the summer. Meeting them somewhere near Waterloo station then heading somewhere for dinner (well I assume so anyway!!).

Day off tomorrow. Curtains (which I finally found last night) shall be going up! I had a comment in my journal from an old friend from school (Hi Toni!!) who suggested I make some. I would if I had had a sewing machine. Mum did offer to send some over, but I figured that it was easier to get some here. I shall post pics of new curtains soon!

Two weekends worth....

Hello All,

I have time to update this today as I am home sick from work. I have slept half the day away (waking up at 2pm). Not bad huh? I feel better for it.

Now, my last journal entry promised updates from last weekend. So I will start there and fill you in then move onto the weekend I have just had. Here we go! :-)

Last weekend at work we had a special family day for all the ex dock workers and their families. It was a great success. I felt that it was really what the museum is all about. Not only do we show/tell people about the past, but it proved the point, so to speak, that history is alive and continuing. The ex dockers were able to pass on their stories to their families, and also have the opportunity to record them with us to keep it alive. I heard some wonderful stories from people coming in. I worked the front desk and they were very willing to chat! One guy came in and said he was a little lost, as the last time he came to the area he was shifting bananas! The area around work has changed so much in the last 30 years or so that it is basically unrecognisable from how it used to be.

Monday night there was a work outing to a local restaurant in aid of someone leaving work. I had a fantastic night. My work colleagues are all mad and we get along really well, and I feel very lucky to be able to work with such a bunch of people.

Tuesday I had the day off and went to the dentist. Oh the excitement!! ;-) I hadn't been in two years, so I was really nervous and stressed that I would require lots of work done. BUT I didn't! And I found me a cute dentist to boot! The surgery is just around the corner from work too which is very handy. Curtain search was fruitless, but the shop I went to was very helpful in educating me in the ways of the curtain.

Wednesday we had an inspection of the flat. We passed (well we have not received an eviction otice so we firgure we are in the clear!). I had an apoointment that morning with my "mentee" (the guy I am a mentor to at work) to have a tour around one of the other sites of my museum's group. It was fantastic, and a real eye opener. They store all the archaeological archives (ie all the photos, paperwork and artefacts from a dig) for every dig in London. Also in the building is the social and working history collections of the museum. There is an astounding amount of stuff - penny farthings, phone boxes, dolls house furniture, toys, board games, the Queen's telephone exchange, lighting, theatre seating, tube signs, irons (clothes), etc etc etc!! Photos to follow...

The weekend just gone was busy. Scott and I headed to Chrisp Street Market near us in search of the ever-elusive curtains! And they eluded us again. I need tab top curtains, which are proving hard to find. Then we headed to the movies and saw "Barnyard". It was very good, but one thing about the movie disturbed me. The cows (who were all BOYS) all had udders (they walk upright like humans so all was on display). I thought boy cows, ie bulls, did not have udders. Am I wrong? Someone please put me out of my misery!!

Sunday was a fantasic day. I headed in to Bank station with Scott (who did some overtime at work) and then I continued on to Alexandra Palace (yes, my palace!!!). There was a knitting and stitching show on there. Heaven for all the craft nutters such as myself. I focussed on yarn only this time (no cross stitch). I bought some lovely stuff too. Some sock yarn out of which I shall make a pair of gloves, some sari silk which I will make a bag out of, and some New Zealand merino/mohair 2ply lovely soft yarn. Mmmmm!!! :-D Sarah met me there (Jake had Orlaith for the duration we were inside). We had a lovely time. It was nice to have Sarah without Orlaith. As much I love Orlaith, she is sweet and cuddly etc, but having Sarah as a non-attached person was lovely. She was able to focus on herself. I am not expressing it very well, but you get what I mean!

After the knitting show I headed to the movies again with San who used to work at the museum with me last year. We saw The Devil Wears Prada. It was entertaining and an interesting insight into the weird fashion industry!

And today I am ill. So there you have it. All updated now!! :-)

Still alive, I promise! Just have not had a chance to sit down and write in this here blog to catch you all up with what I have been doing. So when I get a chance, I will catch you up on the following:

Weekend - Saturday's event at work
Monday night - went out with work colleagues
Tuesday - dentist and curtain search
Wednesday - inspection of flat and visit to one of my work's other sites which houses all the shiny artefacts not on display
Thursday - today, not much to say really!

:-)

Hump Day

It seems like a few days since I have updated this here blog, so now is as good a time as any. I am covering the reception desk for our archives. It is very quiet, just a few people marvelling at the free postcards!

Last week sometime I managed, very cleverly, to trip over the phone cord and pull the cord out of the wall and in the process completely bugger up the plug! So we have had no phone line and therefore no internet since then. We are having it fixed tonight by an electrician. Over here any old electrician can fix your phone plugs which is handy and not as expensive as getting the phone company to do it for us! Then we shall be connected to the world again. What a relief!

On the weekend I went to have a look at a new part of London (well, new to me!). It is in the east, as we are, and called Hackney. It is a much more culturally diverse part of London than I thought it would be. I really enjoyed wandering the streets with my friend Isa. She used to live there so she knows all the good places etc. Found a great curtain shop which I am sure we shall be visiting again. They even had a lovely cat who was perched on a roll of black material.

We have asked our landlord to put in a new curtain rail as the current one will not hold winter curtains. Winter curtains are a must here as so much heat escapes through the glass, even though all our windows are doubled glazed. Our current curtains are just flimsy cotton things, fine for summer but it is getting cool at night now so they need to be changed!!) After much deliberation, the landlord seems to have come up with a solution. We can buy a curtain rail to be fitted (someone will fit it for us) but it must be left there and the current curtains put back when we leave. Fine. So now comes the fun of finding suitable curtains etc. We have already found some curtain linings we want (they are thermal and blockout) so we just need the curtains and the railings! Oh joy!

We had a quiet day on Sunday and saw two movies. We saw The Queen and then Children of Men after that. It was raining very hard all day on and off. I enjoyed The Queen as it gave an interesting perspective into the events after the death of Princess Diana. The Australian media did not cover as much as the British media did regarding the lack of response from the Royal Family. Or not that I can remember anyway! The other movie was a little confusing, but there were excellent sets and it was certainly a story to make you think "what if".

:-)

Here I am in the call centre again. I am going on lunch shortly. It has been raining the last few days on and off so I hope it does not start as I am on my way over to Canary Wharf! The days are much shorter now - it is getting dark at around 7.30pm, compared to 9.30 at the height of summer. And the nights are cooler. Winter trudges towards us! I don't mind the cold weather over here. Which reminds me I must chase our estate agents about putting up new curtain rails so I can hang some heavy curtains for winter. [Hmmm. Just rang them. They will get back to me. They said that last week!]

I have asked for holidays for the weekend before Christmas. I think Scott and I will try and fly somewhere in Europe. Perhaps to Prague? I cannot get holidays over Xmas, but I will have four days off because of my roster and the bank holidays. Hopefully whereever we go will have some Christmas markets and some snow!

In knitting news: I just have to sew together the toe of my first sock! Then it's on to sock number two. I am really impressed with myself. I will have to post pictures asap. It actually looks and feels like a sock, which is always a bonus!

Not much at the moment, perhaps I shall write later on...

:-) xxx

An update

It is Monday and I am in the call centre. I seem to be in here a lot lately, but at the moment that is because one of my colleagues has had to go back to Peru where he is from. I don't mind doing the odd day here and there really. It gives me a chance to catch up on emails, talk on messenger (sounds unprofessional, but if there is nothing else to do... and my boss does it so he can't complain!).

I worked on the weekend. The museum was pretty quiet. Nothing too exciting happened. But that's ok. :-) We had a storyteller in on Saturday as well as the usual guided tour of the museum. On Sunday we had a careers day for an outside organisation.

Scott and I went to see Little Miss Sunshine on Friday night. It is excellent. We were still giggling a couple of hours later. I highly recommend it to everyone. I even said to Scott halfway through the movie, which is highly unusual of me, that it's one for us to buy on dvd.

Tomorrow is my day off. I am catching up with Miss Sarah and Miss Orlaith for houmous and knitting. And odd combination I know. :-) But we are both odd and proud of it, so there! There is a place in soho called the Houmous Brothers. They do - surprisingly - houmous and other things like tuna, vegies etc. But their main staple seems to be houmous. YUM! :-D As for knitting, well Sarah and I are both addicted so we shall find somewhere to knit. Seeing as though we had a tropical-like downpour today I am sure the ground will still be wet tomorrow so perhaps a cafe, but there will be knitting!

Speaking of rain, my museum leaks. So every time there is a huge downpour, which admittedly is not very often, the place leaks like a sieve. We had sinks backing up in the staff room, water gushing down the sides of the downpipes (on the outsides and not on the insides where the water should be!!). It is a nightmare. At least it wasn't too bad this time. It is quite bizzare working in a museum that leaks, as the collection is at risk, which is why the museum exists in the first place!

So there you have it. My not-too-exciting-at-the-moment life.

:-)

Linda's model of an interior of a flat used for both work and home.
This is the entrance to Brunel's tunnel under the Thames from Wapping Station.

Had a fab weekend. Scott has been working very long hours these past weeks, so it was lovely to be able to spend some time with him on Saturday! We went to the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe. They were running tours of Brunel's tunnel udner the Thames. It was the first tunnel in the world under a navigable river. Started in 1825, it was not finished until 1843 due to several floods and a dwindling interest from the public. It is now owned by the East London Line, a branch of the underground system in London. The train driver slowed the train down as he drove through so we could all see the archways between the two halves of the tunnel. We had a guided tour from Rotherhithe to the other side of the river at Wapping and then back again. All free as well. It was fantastic, really well organised and a credit to the Brunel Museum.

The tunnel was originally built to transport people, troops mainly, underneath the river, as the river itself was crammed full of traffic (I sound like one of the videos at work) and to get from one side to the other was a complicated and sometimes costly exercise. By the time the tunnel opened, the congestion had not eased, but the tunnel became more of a tourist attraction. A white elephant, like the Milennium Dome, we were told. It was sold to the East London line after both father and son Brunels had died, so they never saw the tunnel go on to good use. It's a shame, because that is of course why it was built - to transport people. And that is what it is doing to this day - 163 years later!

After that we took a train to London Bridge station and walked to the Rose Theatre, or the remains thereof. They are in the basement of an office building. The remains themselves are completely covered up by mud and water, and are environmentally monitored by English Heritage. The outline of the inner wall and the outer wall as well as the two stages (two because it was remodelled twelve years or so after it was first opened as a theatre) were lit up by a line of red lights. This was explained to us by a guide they had there, who also gave us a lot of information on the site and what was where. I am really glad I went to see the Rose, as I had proof read a masters dissertation on it the previous week at work.

Yesterday was a quiet day. Scotty went off to the football with two mates from work. Had an absolute blast and really wants to make it a regular thing. I think it's great. He came home really happy and bouncy which is nice to see after several long hard weeks at work. He even bought a West Ham jersey so he would not look out of place. :-P

TodayI am working til 7:45pm as we have corporate people in til 7.30 or so. Then it is off drinking with work peoples as someone is leaving and it is a good excuse for a drink!

A few days after we came back from Scotland I ran three workshops at the museum. They were archaeology workshops, bascially about mudlarking, which I have mentioned before. We have a reconstructed beach/foreshore area in the children's gallery, in which I planted some 90 artefacts such as pottery pieces, clay pipes etc. The kids then had to find these artefacts and identify them and date them using large books we have.

All three sessions went well. In one of the sessions I asked the kids if they had any questions for me. One kid puts up his hand and asks.....

"How come you know so much?"

Best question ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Made me feel on top of the world.

I am in the call centre today. It's not too busy at the moment (now that I have said that of course it will get busier!!). I am covering for someone who has today and Monday off work.

Last night I went to a Masters final show. A friend from work, Linda, has completed her Masters degree in fine arts, and her subject was interior design. The show was her (and her fellow students') chance to show off what they had been up to for the last two years. Very interesting stuff. Her project was on interior design of spaces that people use for both living and working. She had made four models of the apartment she designed and had four different ideas on how the space could be used. There were about 8 of us from work who turned up to have a look. The other students' work was interesting as well - everything from furniture design to jewellery.

I met Scott at his work afterwards and we caught a cab home together from there (he gets a cab home from work if he works til 9pm, paid for by the client on whichever case he is working on!). I used this opportunity to have a conversation with him, as he has been working very hard and very long hours, and I have not seen all that much of him of late.

At the end of October it will be two years since we left Australia. I can't belive it has been that long. I am really enjoying my time here. I am used to living in Lodon now, travelling when we can. I am used to the millions of people on the tubes, so squashed in that you can hardly breathe, the fumes, the smells. I am also in a way not used to the history. I mean that in the sense that things still amaze me, that things have surviced for so long. Many of the streets in the City of London (the square mile east of Westminster) have the same layout and the same names from around the time of the Great Fire in 1666.

I had a lovely day off yesterday. I had a chat to dad on the phone, dyed my hair (not red enough though) and went off to Romford in Essex just out of London to meet Sarah and Orlaith. I met a very grumpy Orlaith and a tired Sarah, we bought some lunch and had a picnic on Sarah's loungeroom floor. Twas fun. Orlaith smooshed avocado all over her face and into her hair which was very amusing. Sarah and I knitted (me some more on my funky stitch scarf, her on a pair of gloves) and generally hung out and chatted. Yay!

Today and the rest of the week I am hanging around at work. I am looking forward to the weekend. It is Open House London again and tehre is plenty on to see. Hopefully we shall go see the Brunel museum and then see the remains of the Rose theatre from 1587, which are under an office building. Scotty is off to watch football on Sunday (ie soccar for the Aussies reading this). Hopefully I shall get soe knitting done as well as some sightseeing!

I shall try and post some photos of my mad colleagues who I went out to dinner with on Monday night. A very entertaining night was had!

Hello All!

Today is my day off, so IthoughtI would write a quick post. I will be having lunch with Scott today. He is working very long hours at the moment (home well past 10pm) so it is a chance to catch up!

There have been a series of walks run by staff members of my museum this year. They are very interesting, and the most recent one was on Tuesday this week. About 18 of us wandered about Wapping, a riverside suburb in East London, learning about the goings-on there in history. The area is interesting, and is one of the areas that used to be filled with docks, sailors and general bawdiness, but is now being gentrified. The docks closed, the sailors and dockers moved away and now the yuppies and the immigrants have taken their place. Scott and I love the area, as there are some great riverside pubs. And I have been mudlarking down there. I invited my mum's cousin Judy along, and she enjoyed herself. She met all my crazy colleagues!! I genuinely believe you have to be mad to work in a museum, not quite padded walls mad, but almost!! :-)

Off to get ready for the rest of the day. Exciting things to do! :-)

xxx

Haggis, neeps and tatties!! Or to the uninitiated/non-Scots amongst you - haggis, mashed potato and mashed turnip. YUM YUM YUM!!
Part of Edinburgh Castle, I think. :-)
I love this view. This was on our drive to where we stayed the night beside Loch Ness. The heather on the hills is reflected in the water. Everything looked double.
This is Urquhart Castle on the side of Loch Ness.
More stunning Scottish scenery.
The Scottish flower, the thistle.
The grave of Rob Roy, which had money sprinkled all over it, including an Aussie 50cent piece. I do not know why there was money on a grave though, I have never seen it before. Can anyone shed any light on it for me?
Sir Scotty! In the Bannockburn visitor centre you could dress up, so I helped Scott into this outfit. He really did need help as the chain mail quite literally weighs a ton! Well, maybe 15 kilos or so.
Stirling castle. Really lovely place to visit, again with great views.
.

Scotland Pics - No order whatsoever!

Statue of William Wallace on the side of the Wallace Monument (is there anything under yer kilt Wallace??)
The Wallace Monument, taken from Stirling Castle.
The inside of Rosslyn Chapel. Almost every surface was carved.
The protective roof over the chapel.
Bye bye Edinburgh! This was the rain on our first day in Scotland.
So many posters!! All of these are advertising something to do with the Fringe Festival. Not sure how many layers are there, but the shape is rather bulbous! The dog cemetery at Edinburgh Castle - mascots and regimental dogs were buried here.
Ooops!

Our cabin in the sleeper.